Feeding and clamping mechanism



July 31, 1934. J. H. MOORE l FEEDING AND CLAMPING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 29, 1952 W W J INVENTOR. .la/mu 7002?7 ATTORNEY.

" a single. strand ofwire. ,and` adapted. for release.

Patented July 31, 1934 'Prg 1T y 26 Fi CE CLAMPING MECHANISM John H. Moore,. Detroit, Mich.,. assigner, by mesnc assignments, torAndrew Ruen Hanger Co. a. corpratipnof Michigan Inc.,

Appii'cationfFebruary 29, 1932, SerialrNo. 595,693

f 4Claims..

My invention relates toa new and' usefulV improvement ina feeding and clamping mechanism used.I in forming machines and particularly adapted for use in. garmenthanger forming ina--A chines. This. application forms in part a continuation oi andi inv part an Aimprovement on my cof-pending. application Serial No. 432,322. vwhich has matured'. into Patent No... 1,888,803 issued November 22, 1932.

It. is an objecto the present invention to provide in a. forming machine of this class of a feeding. mechanism whereby strands of. wire may be individually fed to a receiving partA of the machine. and. whereby a clogging of the machine or a disarrangementjv of. the wires. while being, fed to. the former isprevented.v

Another object, of .the inventionv is the provision in a formingy mach-ine. of. this class. of.' ar feeding mechanism having. a receiving part for receiving of the same while at the same timeaiocking of.

the transmission or other wires from the hopper or scurceisprevented during the transmissicn..

Another object. of. theinvention is the. provision l in aicr'ming. machine of this class of afeeding-V mechanism embodying. a delivery l member adapted for. receiving.. and'. delivering froml the. dischargefmember asingle. strand of wire.

4Another object 'oil the invention isv the. provision in a forming machine of this classfof a clamping. mechanism whereby thestrand ofwire may be. securely clampedin, thereceivingslot; o f the forming mechanism. and. heldin position dur-instheformingcperation. 'f

f Another object offtheinventicn is the provision.` in a forming machine. of. nthis class of`ajieedin'g. mechanism which'. willbe. simple in. structure.. economical for manufacture,l durable. compact, .efficient` useformed from. number. of parts, and easily and quicklyasseinbled.

Another objectol the. inventionis the provision in` afcrmingmachine of this class'of a cl'an'ipingl mechanism whichwill be simple. inits. structure and automatic. in its operation. and which, will lend itsel-fparticularly toa forming machine in which. the. forming.` mechanism. travels past the distribution mechanisme. f K

Other objects willr appear hereinafter...

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of` parts hereinafter described and Claimed..

The inventionk will .be best u'r'id'erstood''byV a reference toA the accompanyingv drawingsV` which form apartgof this speci'cation; andin'which,

Fig-.1" i's awlongitudinal; vertical, sectional View of a part ofthe invention taken'on line 1-'-1 ofl Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View. of the invention taken on line 2 2 of Fig.. 1.

j Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectionalyview taken on line 3 3, of Fig. 1.

Fig. liis a fragmentary side .elevational Viewsimilar to. Fig. 2 showing the parts in a. different position.

Fig. 5 is asectional view taken on line 5 5 o Fig. 4.

, Fig. 6 isa view taken on line 6-.6 of Fig. 7. y

Fig. 7 is afrag'mentary view taken on line. '7--7zof Fig. .1.

In the invention I provide a hopper for end Walls 10 and 11 which. extend. upwardly from andV are supported by thev vertical standards. 50 and 51. These endv walls are connected by the stay rods. 12 and the cross barsor braces 2.7 and 28.. rIhesestay rods 12 projectthrough and serve to .support the guide braces le. and 15.' which project inwardly in a downwardly inclined direction... A shaft 16 is projected through the lower. end of the guide braceY 14. Fiiredly mounted on these shafts 16v and 17 are feed rollers 18 which rotate. inthe. direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2L A gear 19-which is driven by a suitable source of power meshes withand is adapted to drive the gear 20.which is fixedly mounted on the shaft 21. Fixedly` mounted on this shaf-t 21 is al gear 22 connected by. the chain belt 23 with the. gear 24 which is iixedly mounted on the shaft 16. A gear 25 is'fixedly mounted on the shaft 16 and meshes with a gear 26 xedly mounted on the shaft 17 so that upon a rotation. ofthe gear 19, the rollers 18 will be rotated in the. direction indicatedjby the arrowsv in Fig. 2. Spaced inwardly from the end walls 10 and 11. are the guide plates 27'.

Mcunted on the cross bar 28- and projected inwardly therefrom is aplate 29 which isv spaced from a plate 'S0' which is mounted' on the-cross bar 27'and projecting inwardly therefrom.. A

distance suflicient to: provide theV slot 31` ot suf which` are rockably mounted on the 'stay rods` 12 seV as to` agitate the strandsl in the hopper: and

.vl slot 68 formed in its upper surface.

facilitate the rolling cf the same onto the rollers 18.

Projecting through and journaled in the side walls 10 and 11 is a shaft 33 on which is iiXedly mounted the gear 34 connected by the chain belt 35 with the gear 36 which is fixedly mounted on the shaft 21. Fixedly mounted on this shaft 33 at spaced intervals are feeding arms or plates 37 each having an arcuate outer edge-33 conforming in contour to the carved surfacev 39 on the prong 46 of the plate 30. A notch 4l is formed in the curved surface 33 of the plate 37 and adjacent this notch so as to follow the same on the plate 37 is a nose or projection 42'. Fixedly mounted on the shaft 33 is a disc 43 carrying the eccentrically mounted stud or roller 44 which is adapted to engage the certain positions of rotation of the shaft 33, the rocker arm 45 which is mounted on the shaft 46 on which is nxedly mounted the feed roller 47 having a peripheral notch 48 formed therein, the construction is such that as the shaft 33 is rotated to a position so that the roller 44 is in a downwardly located position, the roller 47 will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 4 With the peripheral notch 48 aligning with the end of the slot 4l so that a strand of wire 32 may be moved into the notch 48. As the shaft 33 is rotated to put the roller 44 into engagement with the rocker arm 45, the roller 47 will berocked to the position shown in Fig. 2 carrying with it the strand of wire and discharge it into the cutaway portion 49 on the upper end of the surface '39. At the same time the plate' 37 will be revolved into position so that the strand of Wire resting in the cut away portion will have been engaged by the notch 42 and forced downwardly riding in engagement onto the surface 49. As the strand of wire moves out from the cut away portion 49 onto the surface 39, it will be forced into the peripheral notch 41 formed in the surface 38 of the plate 37. A rotatable carrier 52 is shown sectionally fragment in Fig. 1 and sectional in side elevation in Fig. 2 and this carrier 52 is mounted for rotation between the standards and 51.

On the carrier, which is preferably in the form of a drum, are mounted beds 53 which serve to support forming units which operate upon and form the strands of wire 32 into the desired forms. A cam plate 54 is supported on the standard 50 having a groove 54' in which engages a roller 55 projecting outwardly from the end of the arm 56 which is fixed to and rotates outwardly from the shaft 57. Fixedly mounted on the shaft 57 is a bevel gear 58 which meshes with a bevel gear 59 fixedly mounted on the shaft 60 which Yprojects through and is journaled in the bed'53.

A forming arm 61 is fixed on the upper end of the shaft so as to radiate therefrom. A bevel gear 62 is mounted on the shaft 57 to mesh with the bevel gear 63 mounted on the shaft 65 on the upper end of which is iixedly mounted a forming arm 64. At each of these forming arms I have provided on the upper face of the base 53 a block 66 on which is mounted a shaper or forming block 67 having an elongated longitudinal extending The carrier 52 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in Fig. 2 and the relations of the ,curved prong 40 and the forming block 57 is clearly indicated in Fig. 2. As the carrier 52 rotates to the position that the slot 68 is in alignment with the end of the prong 40, the plate 37 will have rotated to a position so that the notch 41 will align with the slot 68 and thus the strand of wire engaged in the notch 41 will be deposited in the slot 68.

Projecting through lugs 69 is a pin 69 which serves as a pivot for a clamping arm 70, the upper end 71 of which is adapted to move into a position so as to securely clamp the strand of wire in the slot 68. A screw 72 is threaded through the opposite end of the clamparm and adapted to engage the periphery of the roller 73 which is ixedly mounted on the shaft `57 and which is provided on its periphery with a notch 74. As the rotatable carrier moves into the position where the strand of wire passes from the notch 4l into the slot 68 the roller 73 will have movedinto a position so that the screw 72 will ride out of the notch 74 and rock the arm 70 so as to engage the strand of wire with the clamping end 71 and securely 'clamp it in the slot 68 thus holding the Vwire rigidly in position during the forming operation. It is believed obvious that the screw 72 af-.

fords a means of adjusting a clamping pressure. When the roller 47 moves to the position shown in Fig. 2 this roller will serve to close the lower end 0f the slot 3l and prevent passage of any strands of wirev from the slot. When the shaft '33 rotates and this shaft rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, farther so that the roller 44 leaves the arm 45 this arm willbe rocked downwardly through the pressure of the spring 45 connected to the arm 45 Whichis connected to and projects outwardly from the pin of shaft 46. With a construction such as described, the wire may be automatically fed from the 'hopper individually and individually placed securely in the slots 68 or the forming blocks and clamped therein. As the carrier 52 moves through its cycle of operation to approach the discharge'position of the finished product, the screw 72 willride into the notch 74 and thus release `the clamping pressure of the arm 70 on the strand of wire inthe slot 68. I thus provide a feeding mechanism, accomplishing the advantages mentioned and one which is entirely automatic in its operation as well as durable in its structure.

' While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details of the structure shown, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to `secure by Letters Patent is: Y

1. In a forming machine awire receiving-hop.-V per for the reception of strands of wire having a discharge slot communicating therewith and leading downwardly therefrom; a rotatable member normally closing the lower en d of said slot and preventing passage of strands of wire therefrom, said member having a notch formed in its periphery of such depth for the receptionof the same strand of wire; a notch bearing member adjacent said rotatable member adapted forthe reception of a strand of wire in its notch upon the rotation of said rotatable member to a predetermined position; rotatable means for effecting a rotation of said rotatable member to said predetermined posi-v tion; and a rotatable feeding member having a wire receiving notch formed therein for engaging the strand of Wire in said notch bearing member and carrying the same to `a predeterminedposition.

2. In a forming Vmachine of the class described a hopper adapted for the reception of strands of wire and provided-with an outlet slot lextending downwardly therefrom for the discharge .of

strands of wire therefrom; Aa rotatable'rmember mounted at the lower end of said slot and normally serving as a closure therefor and provided with a notch in its periphery adapted upon the registration of said notch with said slot, for the reception therefrom of a single strand of wire; a prong bearing member having a portion cut away, said cut away portion being located adjacent said rotatable member, and adapted for the reception of the strand of wire in the notch of said rotatable member upon the rotation of said rotatable member to a predetermined position; rotatable means for effecting the rotation of said rotatable member to said predetermined position; and resilent means for normally retaining said rotatable member in position for maintaining the notch therein in alignment with said slot.

3. In a forming machine of the class described a hopper adapted forrthe reception of strands of wire and provided with an outlet slot extending downwardly therefrom for the discharge y of strands of wire therefrom; a rotatable member mounted at the lower end of said slot and normally serving as a closure therefor and provided with a notch in its periphery adapted upon the registration of said notch with said slot, for the reception therefrom of a single strand of wire; a prong bearing member having a portion cut away,

said cut away portion being located adjacent said rotatable member, and adapted for the reception of the strand of wirein the notch of said rotatable member upon the rotation of said rotatable member to a predetermined position; rotatable means for effecting the rotation of said rotatable member to said predetermined position; resilient means for normally retaining said rotatable member in position for maintaining the notch therein in alignment with said slot; a rotatable notch bearing feeding member adapted, upon rotation to a predetermined position, for receiving in its notch the strand of wire in the cut away portion of said prong and carrying the same to a predetermined position and discharging the same at said position.

4. Ina forming machine: a wire receiving hopper provided with a slot leading therefrom for the discharge of strands of wire from said hopper; a rotatable member normally closing the lower end of said slot and having a notch formed in its periphery, of such depth as to be capable of receiving therein a strand of wire from said slot; and a conveying member adjacent said rotatable member for receiving a strand of wire from said rotatable member and conveying the same therefrom.

JOHN I-I. MOORE. 

